The Card
by Crimson Cutie
Summary: Oneshot. How did Yuna and Rikku become so close if they likely never met before the game?


Disclaimer: I don't own or have any rights to Final Fantasy X.

When Yuna's father defeated Sin, massive celebrations arose all over Bevelle. Everywhere people were rejoicing and celebrating. So many people came up to Yuna and told her how wonderful her father was, how lucky she was to have him as a father and how she must always strive to make him proud. Soon Khimari arrived and rescued her from all that taking her to the small island of Besaid.

It was a few months after arriving, when she received an envelope forwarded from Bevelle. It was from Rikku, a cousin on her mother's side. Yuna had never met her cousin or any of her other al Behd relatives. She only knew of Rikku from Father's description of her mother's family. Inside the envelope was a small handmade card with the message: "I'm sorry for your loss."

When Yuna's teacher from the temple saw the card he snatched it from her and angrily threw it in the trash. "Trust the al Behd to make a mockery of the High Summoner's great sacrifice." He muttered under his breath. Her turned to the girl staring at him with wide eyes and calmed down. "Yuna," he told her gently, "You must never be sorry that your father gave his life, he did a great thing for all of Spira."

"I know." Yuna told her teacher solemnly. She had heard this time and time again ever since her father was named High Summoner. Later, Yuna secretly rescued the card. She truly was proud of her father and happy for the sacrifice he'd made for the whole land. But she could not stop herself from feeling sad that he was gone. She could not help but miss the father who tucked had her in at nights, the one who told her the best bedtime stories and made pancakes on Saturday mornings. Yuna treasured the card made by a cousin she' d never even met, happy that there was one person- even if it was an Al Behd, who understood that she missed her dad.

* * *

Yuna didn't know if there was a way to send a reply to Rikku's card but the good manners that had been drilled into her demanded she at least try and thank her cousin. It took some time but eventually she sat down and wrote:

_Rikku,_

_Hi. You've never met me but my name is Yuna and I am your cousin. I think I'm a little older than you. I was writing to tell you thank you for the card. It was very nice. I am very happy that my father brought the Calm to Spira. _

Here Yuna chewed on her pencil trying to decide what else to say. It was weird writing to Rikku. Her cousin was a stranger but at the same time family and different from the all the other strangers who'd congratulated her on her father's victory over sin. She closed her eyes and tried to image what Rikku looked like before continuing.

_I hope you like it wherever you live- some al Behd place I guess. I moved to Besiad. It is very different from Bevelle but I like it. It is so quiet and peaceful here. Maybe someday you can come here or I can go where you are and we can meet. I wonder if we look at all alike. I don't think my teachers would like it if I told them I wanted to meet an al Behd but you are my cousin so we are family. Thank you for the card again. _

_Yuna_

Satisfied Yuna folded up her letter and put it in an envelope. She put her address in the upper corner and wrote Rikku in the middle. Rikku's card didn't have a return address so she didn't know what else to put. With a frown Yuna put the letter in a safe place vowing to send it if she ever had a chance.

* * *

Yuna had almost forgotten about the letter sitting un-mailed in her desk drawer when al Behd man visited Besaid. He was business man of some sort and had come on some kind of grown-up business. It had been some time since the small island had an al Behd visit. Most of the adults were unhappy with his presence. They spoke in low tones but Yuna could hear their grumblings about having a heathen in their midst. A few were openly hostile to the man. Her teachers had told the students to stay away from all al Behd. Some of the older children made a game of daring each other to go up to the man. Yuna was usually a very good girl but she remembered the letter and decided just this once go against teacher's orders.

She watched the man carefully and waited till he was mostly alone to approach him, she didn't want any of the others tattling back to her teacher. "Um excuse me, Mister al Behd?" she asked. Yuna wasn't particularly shy but with all the warnings she'd heard about the machina using people, she was apprehensive about talking to one.

"My name is Rin. How may I help you?" The man spoke in clear well articulated Spiran.

"Hello Mr. Rin, my name is Yuna. I was wondering if, maybe, you knew a girl named Rikku? She's an al Behd."

Rin was silent for a moment before responding, "Cid's daughter Rikku?" He sounded surprised.

"Yes," Yuna quickly replied. Cid was the name of her uncle, she'd forgotten it but the second he'd said it she remembered. "I was wondering if, well, she sent me a card awhile ago so I wrote her thank you letter but I don't know her address." She held up the letter.

Rin smiled kindly at her. "If you entrust the letter to me I will personally see that she gets it."

"Oh thank you, thank you Mister al Beh...I mean Mr. Rin. I really appreciate it." She gave the letter to him. Yuna made the sign of Yevon to him in thank you. Red flushed up on her cheeks when she remembered the al Behd didn't follow Yevon. "I have to go," embarrassment and shyness overtaking her she fled from the strange but kind man back to her house.

* * *

It was a few years before Yuna heard anything more about her cousin. No more al Behd came to visit Besaid. Then one day in the mail she received a letter with no return addresses.

_Cousin Yuna,_

_I was surprised when you wrote to thank me for the card. I had to have Rin read the letter to me because I didn't know Spiran. I told my Dad I wanted to learn Spiran and he said yes. He wasn't all happy but he said I could do it. This is why it took me so long to write back. I wanted to be able to write back on my own not to have Rin trant..translate my letter. (that is a big word!) I know my Spiran is not so good but I am working hard. I had my teacher help me with this letter. _

_Do you want to write back to me? I hope you do. It would be nice to write to you. I do not have any sisters so we could be close like sisters you know. Teacher said that does not make sense. I mean it would be nice to have you for a friend like a sister. Teacher says that is better. Writing in Spiran is hard. If you write to me I will try to write more next time. If you want to write back to me use the address wrote on the back. It is for travel agency. They accept mail for many al Behd and make sure it gets where we live. (this is secret because we hide from Yevonites) You do not have to write back. I hope you want to. _

_Rikku _

Yuna forgotten about the letter she'd sent years ago. It had been a long time since she thought at all about her al Behd relatives. She was very surprised to hear from Rikku. It hadn't even occurred to her when she sent her first letter that Rikku wouldn't be able to read it. Yuna was surprised with how much effort her cousin had gone to write back to her. Yuna didn't have any sisters either. She had some nice female friends on Besaid and a best friend named Lulu but it would neat to be close to her cousin. She pulled a fresh sheet of paper from her desk and sat down to write. It was a little hard because this time she was aware that Rikku might not know all of the words she used. She tried to use easy words

_Rikku,_

_I was surprised to hear from you. It has been a long time since I first wrote you. I'm not angry or sad it took so long to hear from you. I am happy that you want to write to me. I forgot that you would not be able to read my letter. Writing this is hard because I do not know what words you know. But, do not worry I am happy to do it. I have some good friends, but I also have no sisters and it would be nice to be close to family. I hope we can become good friends._

Chewing on her pencil, Yuna thought about what else to write. She told Rikku about her favorite and least favorite subjects in school. She wrote about the games she liked to play. She put down the story about how Wakka and Chappu had a big fight and Chappu ran away. Everyone on the island had to pitch in and look for the boy, till at last Lulu found him hiding in a tree. By the time Yuna was done she'd filled up the front and back of her paper. She added a little doodle of herself at the bottom by her signature. Then she put the letter in an envelope writing Rikku's name and putting below it the travel agency address Rikku had provided.

Smiling, Yuna walked the post office to mail her letter. She was excited to have a pen pal and happy that she could be friends with Rikku, even though her cousin was an al Behd so they would probably never meet.

* * *

Author Notes: I wondered how Yuna and Rikku could be so close if, with Yuna being a proper Yevonite and Rikku being an al Behd ,they probably never met before the scene at the Moonflow. I got the idea of them being pen pals but I couldn't figure out how that could have started until I came up with the idea of Rikku sending the card. Yuna is a little prejudiced in the story but she's just a kid who's growing up around the temple, I think it is only natural that she would be that way.

Though I don't plan to at the moment, I may someday do a sequel of sorts to this story in the form of the letters Yuna and Rikku exchanged up till the game.


End file.
